I tryed oven pasteurization of horse manure once a long time ago and the entire house ended up smelling like a giant fart.
That should speak volumes for oven pasteurization.
I bet your significant other had something to say about that! I've got organic cow manure and contemplating how to sterilize that. Mix the substrate then PC in a pillow case? I also have a large mouth gallon jar but might be too tall for PC.
Do not PC your substrate!!! If you run it in your PC, you will be sterilizing it... You want to pasteurize it. Sterilizing in your PC will kill all micro-organisms... You want to keep the beneficial thermophiles alive or you will have contaminates. I think it was TVcasualty who recently described thermophilic bacteria, which i beneficial in your substrate mix, as a place holder... These bacteria which thrive at high temperatures will sit as a place holder so bad bacteria and fungal contaminates can not colonize prior to your mushroom mycelium colonizing...
Pasteurize in a large pot of water on top of the stove in a porous pillow case. I suggest using jersey knit pillow cases.
You can also steam pasteurize using a wall paper steamer, wrinkle steamer, or other source of steam but that would take a slightly larger investment if you want to construct the unit properly...
I would just pasteurize in a pot of water and aim to keep it somewhere between 150f-170f... I typically shoot for 160--165f... I steam pasteurize for 6 hours but if I were doing it in water on the stove, I would shoot for 4 hours though some may say that is over kill...
My bad, used the wrong terminology. I meant to say pasteurize but good to know I'm on the right track. I knew sterilizing would be too far but my mind couldn't come up with the right word. How about pasteurizing in a pillow case in a slow cooker for 6 hrs?
I managed to find an under bed storage tote of appropriate size to cover the bed so I'll see what kind of difference it will make.
Thanks PJ
I think the disconnect was in you saying that you could use your PC to pasteurize. You could use the PC like a pot and not bring it to pressure and pasteurize that way but if you are going to pressurize your PC as normal, you would be sterilizing rather than pasteurizing.
As for the slow cooker, it all depends on temperature. You will have to bring your substrate to temp, 150-170f is what I shoot for, and then maintain those temps for hours...